Schools from Siskiyou County had a very strong showing at the Northern Section Cross Country Championships at West Valley High in Cottonwood on Thursday. Senior John Whelan of Etna took the top overall spot in the boys division, showing yet again that he is one of the top runners in the state. The Yreka High boys squad took first in Division 4 and second overall behind Shasta. Clayton Bunn finished sixth overall for Yreka and Matt Jochim was seventh, while David Neill came in ninth place.The Yreka girls squad took second overall in Division 4 and eighth overall. Both Yreka squads earned state berths in Division 4. State is set for Nov. 24 in Fresno. "Overall, we're pleased with how we did," Yreka head coach Pam Borg said. The Mount Shasta girls team took fourth overall and the boys team finished eighth overall. Whelan, considered a top contender for the Division 5 state title this season, finished with a time of 15:29.80 on Thursday. He came in seventh in state last season. Whelan said that it meant a lot to him to finish so strongly in his last event in the area. He set a personal best time for the West Valley course by around a second. He was more than 30 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. During the girls varsity race it rained, making the conditions quite muddy, Whelan said. Because of the conditions, he said that he and his fellow runners had to be more aware of the terrain. He said that he enjoyed the challenge of racing in these conditions. Whelan thanked all his coaches, past and present, and his teammates for all their support. Borg commended her squad for their strong performance. In the boys race, Yreka lost to Shasta by only nine points. Borg said that the boys squad "ran pretty well overall," and should again have a strong showing in Division 4 at state. Last season, Yreka won the Division 4 state title. While Yreka lost a number of key runners from last season, this year's runners have stepped up to help the Miners to another strong season. Borg believes that her team has an excellent shot at a top three finish at state. The girls team,which consists of several underclassman, did quite well on Thursday, Borg said."The girls ran extremely well," Borg said.